Machine for operating on boot and shoe soles



, 1,515,132 0. B. SPALSBURY MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON BOOT AND SHOE SOLES Filed April 5, 1925 2'2 7 I v if 36 r 55 a a 40 57 3, I do a li 3 5; I 41 55 ,Izwe 71502 I cLwN l f .m W mrm g atenteti Nev. H, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. SPALSBURY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOR TO JOHNSON, STEPHENS AND SI'IINKLE SHOE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MIS- SOURI.

MACHINE FO'R OPERATING Application fifled April 5,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. SPALs- BURY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Operating on Boot and Shoe Soles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawingsis a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is a novel, eiiicient and improved machine adapted for operating upon soles for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes. While my present machine is of general usefulness in the boot and shoe art, it is designed particularly to facilitate the manufacture of my special type of boot or shoe illustrated in my copending applications for U. S. Letters Patent Serial Nos. 555,588, filed April 18, 1922; 566,496, filed June 7, 1922; and Ser. No. 630,131, filed April 5, 1923, illustrating said improved shoe and machines for use in making same. In my said type of novel shoe construction and the methods of manufacturing same, it is desirable to form, cut, or saw a slot in the edge portion of the forepart of a shoe sole. As explained in my said prior applications, my shoe consists essentially in a combined insole and outsole member, having the shank and heel portions free of attachment, but with the forepart of the members united, leaving a slotted portion on each side of the forepart in which the upper is lasted and secured. This combined insole and outsole member may be formed of two separate layers, secured, cemented, stitched or otherwise united at the forepart, or preferably is formed from a single sole piece or blank, in which case the heel and shank portions are split to form the two insole and outsole members and the forepart is slotted, leaving the two portions united and it is for this slotting operation that the present machine has been particularly devised.

In the manufacture of my said improved shoe, it is desirable to trim or otherwise reduce the edge portion of the layer or part which is to constitute the insole member, particularly around the forepart in order to permit the outsole to extend beyond the same in the completed or finished shoe. This trimming of the insole margin or edge por- ON BOOT AND SHOE SOLES.

1923. Serial No. 630,132.

tion can be effected at any time and as a separate operation if desired, but I prefer to combine this trimming feature simultane- I ously with the slotting action, and. therefore have illustrated these two steps simultaneously in the present machine.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,-

Fig. 1 is a side view of my present machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the cutting, trimming and guide portions of the machine, showing a portion of a sole 1n position;

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed portion of the slotting knife cutter or saw;

Fig. 5 being a fragmentary vertical portion.

While my machine is suitable to be manufactured and installed in a shoe factory either as a small bench machine or as a floor machine, I have illustrated same in the present drawing as mounted on a suitable standard 1 resting on a base 2 secured tot-he floor. To the top of the standard 1 is fitted a head 3 having a pair of forwardly extending arms or yokei l, 4, carrying suitable bearings 5 for the shaft 6. A rearwardly extending bracket 7 carries guide pulleys on each side 8 mounted on a shaft 9. The vertical shaft 6 carries a driving pulley 10 positioned between the yoke arms 4 and is adapted to receive a driving belt 12 led over the guide pulleys 8 and to a driving pulley 1 1 secured to a shaft 15 mounted in suitable brackets 17, alsocarried by the base 2, and with a pulley 16 thereon to receive power from any suitable source. A guardl? protects the operator from the belt 12 and unites the outer portions of the yoke arms 4 together.

The shaft 6 has a reduced portion 20, and a collar 21, the latter affording a seat for the cutter or saw 22, which is clamped thereagainst by means of a washer 23 and clamping nut 24:, threaded on the reduced end portion 20 of the shaft. This gives a firm bearing for the cutter and the washer 23 also constitutes a guide or gauge for the edge of the sole 25 to be operated on.

The lower portion of the bottom arm or yoke 4 has a hub 30 extending downwardly and adapted to receive the shank 31 of a guard 33, said guard being normally pressed downwardly by a coiled spring 32, bearing between the yoke 4 and a shoulder 35 formed on the guard, thus normally holding said guard yieldingly downwardly and against the work 25. In order to limit the downward movement of this guard I form a recess 36 in the part 30, on which the guard slides, fitting a pin 37 therein which limit-s the sliding movement of said guard as will be readily understood.

As a bottom rest for the work 25, I supply an annular work table 40, mounted on a threaded shaft 41, which latter is threaded into a socket 42 carried by a bracket 43 which may be yieldingly clamped to the standard 1 by semicircular arms 43 and a clamp 44 uniting the extending ends of said arms 43. Rotation of the work table 40 will raise and lower the same as desired for thickness. of work or tension between the yielding guard 33 and the top surface 45 of the work table. When so adjusted the clamp 46 may be swung downwardly to lock the same in adjusted position, the socket 42 being split for this purpose and the clamp 46 acting to tighten the split portion by a threaded shank extending through correspondingly threaded lugs 47, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

As thus far described the machine is suitable for slotting the sole edges of the sole 25, cutting a predetermined depth of slot therein determined by the diameter of the washer 23, guiding on the edges of the sole, and the diameter of the saw or cutter 22, forming the slot 50 in the sole.

In order to also trim the upper edge por tion simultaneously I may fit a cutting member to the collar 21. This may be a cutting knife or preferably also a saw, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and comprises a hub 56 adapted to slide upon and fit the collar 21, held in position by a pin 57 or other suitable means passing through corresponding recesses 58 in; the hub 56, and through the collar 21. This saw or cutter is of substantially the form shown and fits down upon the top surface of the slotting cutter 22, rotating therewith, and trimming off the upper or top edge 60 of the sole blank 25, leaving the outsole or marginal edge 61 as shown. Thus I provide means to slot and trim simultaneously the sole blank, effecting these two operations at the same time with one machine. The edge trimmer 55 is readily removed and replaced with a trimmer of varying diameters to correspond with the margin desired. The overlapping of the slotting cutter 22 on the supporting face 45 of the work support, insures a firm and even cutting action, and the slotting cutter 22 is preferably of desired thickness to remove a substantial amount in this slot to facilitate the subsequent lasting operation and the upper and lasting devices, as explained in my said prior applications.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A machine of the class described, having a work support, means to hold the work yieldingly thereon, a rotatable work gauge to position the work relatively thereon, and a removable slotting cutter adapted to form a slot in the edge portion of the work of predetermined depth.

2. A machine of the class described, adapted to slot and trim a predetermined portion of a sole blank simultaneously, comprising an adjustable work support, a guard adapted to hold the work thereon, a gauge for the edge of a portion of the work, a

slotting cutter cooperating with said gauge to out a slot of predetermined depth along the marginal edge of said work, in combination with edge trimming means adapted to CHAS. B. SPALSBURY. 

